American Graffitti photos you may not have seen

Awesome Scenes....Thanks from one who really is into this....Pharaohs car club of St. Louis...founded because of the movie American Grafitti... I'm the Prez and founder...
We have one of our cruises dedicated to the movie every year.

 

he said when he got it it was junky and it had been in a fire so the engine bay was toast (kinda) they changed the grill,mirrors,skirts,wheels,lowered,motor,etc. and the paint. i guarantee you if you somehow email bo hopkins he will tell you if it's real or not. i have his email somewhere

 

Looking forward to it...

 

email: bo@joethepharoah.com
CEO: Joe The Pharoah, LLC.
Bo Hopkins
(i have his autograph and his business card)

 

can't you just take it into consideration that it MIGHT be the real deal? at first i thought it was a clone but i talked to him and he was completely honest. just saying

 

The original Merc was recused from the Universal Studios lot in the 80's by Terry Coates in the San Fernando Valley. He would bring it to our cruise nights at Carney's Hot Dogs on Ventura Blvd. When he bought it the roof was caved in from having another car stacked on it's roof.

Terry and his son restored the car, they built the grill from a 70 Camaro front bumper, he drove it for awhile and then I heard Brian Setzer purchased it, but I don't know if it was from Terry or someone Terry sold it too.

 

Here's some pics of it being rescued. I see lots of rust, but no major roof damage.

http://kathyschrock.net/graffiti/mercury.htm

 

i wish i could remember the name of the guy who owns the one i took pix of

 

i vaguelly remember:
owned and mainteined by Trader Wayne's Inc.

 

cool pics definatly one of my favorites

 

I was hooked right after I saw this movie when I was 13 at my uncles house in whiterock B.C.. He said it reminded him of when he was a kid.. I think he was probly like toad tho...

 

Good thread!---I remember right after the AG movie came out, there was a car show at the amusment park (Magic Mtn.), where they had the "Milner coupe" on display, where people were all excited about seeing the movie star car! Upon closer examination, I have never seen such bad body work & paint in ANY car show!! But, I guess it didn't matter to the hollywood folks producing the AG film, cause the raves they were getting from all over, outshone any 20 footer prop car!!-------Don

 

Very cool.
"Met Wolfman Jack" when I was kid ...he was at the Portland Roadster show.

 

The graffitti merc was still at universal in 83. We arranged to go look at it to buy it for our friend in England. My brother said "nah, its a pile of shit" so we bought this one instead..........It was white and became red.
Also is a picture of me in my 58 in 1979 I loved AG as you can tell.....

 

Battersea boys : Belive I saw both cars you posted , in Stockholm ( Sweden ) back in `85 (?) .. Same cars ? The Merc was 4sale ..(?)
( Just testing my brainfunction )

Klaz

 

Klaz, Yeah thats about right,

the Mercury was the first to be chopped in the UK. It was based on an article about Murphy and the stripper outa FLA. It employed the rear window remaining attached to roof, Which creates a longer deck, also this method stops the sorta odd bump that mercs get normally,Its still around and looks as good 25 years on, I still have my 58 imp as well

regards

Milt

 

I met Cindy Williams at the Bear Mt car cruise a couple of years ago, and met Candy Clark at the SEMA show last november. Candy looks better now than she did in the movie, and was as friendly as you could ask for.... Cindy was extremely charming also; I was star struck.....

"Chrome reverse rims and whitewall slicks...
and she turns the quarter mile in 106....
door handles are off but you know i"ll never miss 'em...
we open 'em up with a solenoid system....."
beach boys, 1963, "cherry cherry coupe"

gaspumpchas

 

Well , Thanx 4 the "brainfunction" feedback
I don`t remember much car-related stuff from the eighties , but I sure do remember your cars .. , You made my day back then Thanx !
Glad to hear that both cars are still up & running !
BTW : "Murphy`n the stripper" :
I have a set of " Classic Custom"(?) magazines somwhere in my hidings ... , "It was based on an article about Murphy and the stripper outa FLA." : Article in "Classic custom" ?

Klaz

 

I love that movie, great thread !
Found an old record with some of the movie music, but there was a record called "American graffiti" I guess, this is a later one ..
Funny, I just bought a yellow -56 chevy from Petaluma

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkH1YW9MG2g

 

Me and the coupe in 83 or 84.

 

I thought the grill had been lowered to made filming from the front easier and clearer.

 

I would like to see a colored picture of the `55 with front off...Someone somewhere has to have one stashed away, youd think...

And incase you didnt know...The reason they never showed the motor in American Graffitti, was due to the fact there was no 454 back then...But they sure did show it in Two Lane Blacktop though...I have seen way more pics of the car in TLB trim also...

 

I have some pictures showing the engine. It's an L-88.
I have some before it was restored and after. I've ridden in the car a few times

 

Cool pics! A favorite movie of mine!

 

according to Street Rodder magazine the guy who bought the 58 for only a few hundred dollars attended the opening of AG at his local drive in in the car!last I heard his daughter was redoing the car as a Sr. Project in high school and had a small block and auto in it till she could rebuild the 348 for it.steven Spielberg said that they spent lots of money in places they later learned got wasted like a complete tuck n roll upholstery in I think the Merc but later found out that you could never see in the film!as for the AG Merc as its getting pulled from the junk yard there is clearly a bunch of damage above the passengers rear window like the top had been crunched and kicked back up.

 

Friggen AWSOME. GRACIAS.

 

Go To YOUTUBE to see or type in...... " THE REAL 55 CHEVY from American Graffit" & TWO Lane Blacktop ...as it looks today.

 

I read all the post and I don't think I saw any mention of which way the pleats on the door panels were turned sideways in the interior of the 58 in the original movie. I saw the orginal movie when it was only a few days old. At the time I had only seen one other 58 Chevy with the pleats turned that way. The car belonged to my best friend when we were in Junior High and his car was a white Hardtop-Chrome reversed wheels with a white interior. The real kicker is we both were at a Rod run and went to the movies with our wifes to see AG(just released). Both of us were shocked to see that the 58 in the movie was almost a copy of his car and had the pleats turn side ways instead of the normal up fashion. The newer versions of the movie the pleats are "Digitally" turned the correct way.

 

One of the best movies ever!!! Thanks for sharing